Abuja: A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Yiaga Africa, has expressed concern over the prevailing tension ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, saying it could discourage voters from exercising their franchise. The Chairperson of the Osun Election Observation Mission of Yiaga Africa, Dr. Asmau Maikudi, and the organisation’s Executive Director, Samson Itodo, raised the concern at a pre-election press conference on Thursday in Osogbo. They emphasized the need for all stakeholders to create a peaceful and conducive environment for voters to cast their ballots without fear or intimidation.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, while preparations for the election were broadly on track, the credibility of the process would ultimately depend on the performance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on election day. Dr. Maikudi noted that the electoral umpire had undertaken key preparatory activities across the 30 Local Government Areas, including Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) distribution, recruitment and training of election officials, mock accreditation, BVAS configuration, stakeholder engagement, and election security coordination. The overall credibility of the election day would hinge on timely deployment, reliable technology, consistent application of the law, and effective contingency planning.
She highlighted disruptions in PVC collection in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas, which limited some voters’ ability to obtain their cards. Despite INEC’s announcement of plans to enable affected voters to download electronic PVCs, limited access to digital services could prevent some eligible voters from benefiting from the measure, raising the risk of voter disenfranchisement.
Addressing security concerns, Maikudi pointed out incidents documented in the weeks preceding the election, indicating a troubling shift towards direct disruption of electoral activities and contestation over strategic public spaces. She mentioned the attack on a PVC collection centre in Odo-Otin, politically linked violence in Osogbo, and disputes over the control of motor parks as developments that heightened security risks surrounding the election.
Yiaga Africa expressed concern over the escalation of incendiary rhetoric and hate speech attributed to political actors. Such rhetoric could legitimize violence, deepen partisan hostility, and undermine public confidence in the electoral process. Maikudi called for intelligence-led, coordinated, and strictly impartial security deployment, with enhanced protection for electoral personnel, facilities, materials, and voters. She urged security and law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute electoral violence, threats, hate speech, and related offenses without regard to political status, party affiliation, or influence.
Maikudi warned that unresolved technical problems could disenfranchise eligible voters, generate tension at polling units, and undermine confidence in the credibility and legitimacy of the election. She called for more inclusive and targeted voter education ahead of the election, stressing that political awareness and civic engagement should remain high, particularly among women, youths, and persons with disabilities.
Yiaga Africa identified voter inducement as a significant integrity risk and documented the distribution of money and gift items by political actors. Some distributions were presented as social interventions or charitable support, but their timing and proximity to campaign activities raised concerns about voter inducement and undue influence. On voter education, the organisation noted that activities had expanded since July 1, led largely by INEC, civil society organisations, and the National Orientation Agency.
Maikudi, however, cautioned that pre-election violence, inflammatory rhetoric, and persistent distrust in the process could suppress voter participation on election day.